ODU's Bacote improving, working as Monarchs prepare for VCU

NORFOLK — Self-awareness may be the best component of Aaron Bacote's breakout start.

Though Old Dominion's sophomore guard leads the team in points, assists, minutes and plays made, he doesn't think he has it all figured out.

"The first few games, I was scoring well, shooting well and finding my teammates," Bacote said. "Lately, I've been turning it over a little too much, just trying to force the issue, rather than letting it come to me. That's why I've been trying to pick people's brains, trying to slow down more than I already am, just trying to make the right play."

Bacote, who grew up in Hampton and attended Bethel High, has played in only one of the rivalry's games – last year's 83-70 VCU win. But he is well aware of the intensity and enmity between the two fan bases.

"I'm used to Hampton-Bethel, and it's that, times 10," Bacote said. "I know playing there, it's definitely going to be a good environment. It's going to be loud, excited – just a challenge we're going to have to step up to."

Bacote figures to draw plenty of attention from the Rams. He averages 19.4 points per game and shoots a good percentage – 43.2 from the field, 38.9 from 3-point range. He also averages four assists per game.

"If you look at the stat sheet, we need him to score," ODU coach Jeff Jones said. "He's been our best set-up guy as well, so the ball's going to be in his hands a lot. What we've got to get from him are good decisions, and he's got to be strong with the ball. He's going to garner the lion's share of our opposition's defensive attention. He's trying to do a lot for us, and we're asking him to do a lot, but he can't do more than he's capable."

Attempting to do more resulted in elevated turnovers. Bacote committed 17 of his 29 turnovers in the past three games, including seven in Tuesday's overtime loss to North Carolina Central.

That sent Bacote to the video room and prompted discussions with teammate Trey Freeman, a transfer from Campbell who is sitting out this season.

"I admire his game at the point-guard position," Bacote said. "I've been trying to pick his brain lately, because the past few games, I don't think I've been doing as well at the point as I should. So I'm looking at the film, trying to talk to him, see what he sees, and just play to the best of my ability."

Bacote, at 6-4, most often plays the wing, but slides over to the point guard and handles the ball more when Keenan Palmore is out. Even with Palmore in, the Monarchs' offense often runs through him.

"He allows the game to come to him and he does a little bit of everything," Jones said. "If I think of Aaron, I don't think of him as a pure shooter or a pure playmaker. He's a good, solid all-around basketball player. He can score. He can put the ball on the floor a little bit. He can shoot a standing jump shot. I wouldn't peg him to any one of those categories. He's just a well-rounded player.

"Adjusting to the attention that the opposition's going to give him and adjusting to the physical play, opponents are going to get into him. He's in the process of learning how to make that adjustment, being stronger with the basketball and being aggressive, without trying to do too much."

ODU has lost the past three games in the series to VCU and hasn't beaten the Rams since the 2011 CAA tournament championship game. Of more immediate concern is the Monarchs' current three-game losing streak.

ODU's overtime loss to N.C. Central on Tuesday was particularly vexing, not because NCCU isn't a quality opponent, but because the Monarchs contributed to their own demise with an uninspired first half, and poor execution and decision-making in overtime.

"The thing that I kept trying to reinforce is that for us to be successful, there are certain things that we have to do," Jones said. "Maybe other teams don't have to worry about them, but our margin of error is such that we have to be working our tails off. If we ain't working our tails off, then the results aren't going to be very good. Simple. That's the formula for us. It doesn't guarantee success, but if we don't have that, the results aren't going to be good."

VCU is the kind of team that can make opponents look bad, even if they're on point. The Rams, and their full-court 'Havoc' defense, force 20 turnovers and result in 12 1/2 steals per game. They go 10-deep and no one plays more than 30 minutes per game.

Wing Treveon Graham (16.3 ppg) leads five players in double figures, and the Rams are balanced and experienced. They fell out of the top 25 after losses to Florida State and Georgetown, but they've won three in a row, including Thursday's overtime affair against Eastern Kentucky.